Fire-extinguishing liquid



IBENJAMIN'I. CORSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

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No Drawing.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN I. Consort,

a citizen of the United States, residing at- Minneapolis, in the county of .Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain flames produced by burning oil or other liquid fuel.

Various different compounds or sub:

stances have been produced for this purpose. All, or nearly all, have employed chemical substances, which, when brought together, generate carbon dioxid. Sodium carbonate and an acid, such as sulfuric acid or sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulfate, have frequently been used for this purpose.

Such compounds have also hitherto contained a third ingredient having as its function the production of a blanket of foam on the surface of the oil to facilitate in extinguishing the flames by cutting ofi the air supply necessary to support the combustion. As this third ingredient, soap, gum arabic, saponin, and other quite expensive materials have been used, but I have discovered an ingredient or substance for this purpose which is not only better than the substances named, but-is many times cheaper. The substance which I put to the above use for producing the blanket of foam is the sediment or sludge obtained as a waste by-product in tanning processes known as phlobaphenes.

There are two well known processes-of tanning. The one being known as the chrome process and the other as the mark or tannin process, but it is from the latter, or old process that I have obtained in the waste residue or sludge, the material found so efii-.-,:,

cient for producing, in the fire extinguisher, the blanket forming foam. This tanning residue or phlobaphenes has hitherto been treated as waste and has been thrownaway or disposed of in any possible 'way as by running the same into rivers.

The fire extin isher is made in the form of two liquids W ich are kept se arated until the time that they are to be t rown upon Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Application filed January 31, 1920. Serial No. 855,856.

the fire. I have made a highly eflicient fire extinguisher by first forming two liquids, as follows:

1. Ten parts bicarbonate of soda, eighty parts of water, and tenparts' of sediment or sludge from the waste tanning liquid residue.

2. Ten parts of aluminum sulfate and ninety parts of water.

When these two liquids are commingled, the aluminum sulfate and sodium bicarbonate generate or produce the carbonic acid gas and the tanning residue or sludge produces the blanket of foam that cuts off the air and smothers the flames. The water in the ,mixtures acts as a carrier to distribute the fire extinguishing elements, and also,

serves to facilitate the generation of a carbondioxid. This phlobaphenes forms spontaneously during the mechanical process, and settles to the bottom of the vat. It contains tannin and tannin compounds but it is not generally used for tanning purposes because it is insoluble in acid or neutral solution. However, it dissolves during an alkaline solution but will not tan in such combinatio However, phlobaphenes is soluble in bir arbonate of soda or in caustic soda, or

a mixture of the two.

This extinguisher, when thrown upon combustible materials in the vicinity of a fire will also prevent them from igniting. In practice I have found that this fire extinguishing substance, when thrown upon objects, will produce a protecting blanket of foam that will last about twenty-four hours.

These two liquids or solutions are kept separate until the time it is thrown onto the fire and when they are commingled the aluminum sulfate acts onthe' sodium bicarbonate to produce carbonic acid as and the tannin residue then acts as t e so-called third lngr'edient to produce a blanket of foam which cuts off the air and smothers the flames. The water in the two mixtures, simply acts as a carrier to help distribute the fire extinguisher and it facilitates the generation of a carbonic dioxid.

What I claim is:

1. A component for a foam produclng fire extinguishing charge, consisting of the product produced in the tannin process of tanning known as phlobaphenes combined with a gas producmg chemlcal substance, said combination when associated with a complemental composition operating to pro duce fumes non-supporting to combustion and foam.- 2. A fire extinguishing charge consistlng "of two separate solutions containing substances adapted to unite to produce fumes non-supporting to combustion, one of said solutions having mixed therewith the product resulting from the tanning process known as phlob'aphenes.

3. A fire extinguishing charge consisting of two separate solutions containing substances adapted to unite to produce fumes non-supporting to combustion, oneof which comprises a SOllltlOIl' of sodium bicarbonate and a waste product from the tanning proc-' 16 ess comprising phlobaphenes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN I. CORSON.

Witnesses: Y

BERNIGE G. BAUMANN, HARRY D. KILGORE. 

